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CNN Live Today

Saudi Arabia Comes Out Against U.S. Striking Iraq

Aired March 15, 2002 - 14:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: John mentioned the difficult sell earlier today that Cheney will have when he meets with Saudi Arabian leaders tomorrow. Judging by some new rhetoric, it just got perhaps a bit tougher today. The Crown Prince Abdullah told CNN's Rula Amin the U.S. cannot overcome Saddam Hussein. Abdullah also said the U.S. should not strike Iraq, because such an attack would only stoke anti- American sentiment in the region.

We have been talking about this issue throughout the week with our military analyst Retired Major General Don Shepperd with us back from Washington. Don, good to see you again on a Friday afternoon.

MAJ. GEN. DONALD SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Hello, Bill.

HEMMER: Love to know that it's Friday, by the way. When you hear talk that we heard with Rula Amin earlier today and the crown prince from Saudi Arabia, what does it do to the U.S. mission, knowing that every Arab country to this point has lined up and stacked itself against the U.S. in terms of future missions publicly against Baghdad?

SHEPPERD: Well, it makes it very difficult, Bill, but remember, these are opening hours of diplomacy. We have to lay diplomacy before military action, and we've got to be in accordance with the U.N. and the rule -- and the rule of law. So all of those grounds are being laid.

But Crown Prince Abdullah is well respected in the Arab community, and reportedly he is going to make a proposal at the Arab Council later this month basically to have Israel withdraw to its pre- 1967 war borders, in exchange for recognition by the Arab nations and a guarantee of its sovereignty. That is an old proposal, nothing new, been rejected before, but perhaps these new times make it a good idea again, because where we are going is leading to disaster for both sides, Bill.

HEMMER: Listen, you mentioned the early stages of diplomacy. Do you have a crystal ball here that you can look into and say, eventually, with a pretty good road map, this conflict or potential for conflict with Baghdad may go this way or that way or this way?

SHEPPERD: It can go any other way, and of course you don't want to use military action if you don't have to. So if we can get what we want through U.N. resolutions for the reintroduction of inspectors and firm inspections that assure us about the weapons of mass destruction, it clearly would be preferable to everybody than military action.

But I'm sure what the vice president will also make clear to Arab nations is we are not going to allow Saddam Hussein or anybody else to sit there and develop weapons of mass destruction and use them against the United States in future because of what just happened to us on 9/11.

HEMMER: But again, the suggestion would be that if this is the early stages and things could change from where they are right now, correct?

SHEPPERD: Indeed. We could get our hands forced by something that happens, but we are laying the early stages in case military action is necessary later on. We don't know what we are going to do yet, but we're laying the possibilities for both ways -- diplomatic and political, and also military.

HEMMER: Got it. A couple things Barbara Starr mentioned in her report just a few moments ago, caught my interest here. First of all, more troops potentially to Afghanistan. How does Central Command go about deciding this, whether or not they indeed send more there?

SHEPPERD: Well, believe that -- I believe that General Franks is basically looking at his options and where he wants to go, in view of intelligence developing and the exploitation of the intelligence we gained from the Shah-e-Kot valley Operation Anaconda campaign. If he is going a whole bunch of places around the country, six or seven new readouts, if you will, that are complicated, he may require more troops and more helicopters and he may deploy other elements of the 101st and the 10th Mountain Division in to do that, Bill.

HEMMER: The other thing she suggested that some troops who were coming out of Kuwait, but more are going back to replace them. Kuwait borders Iraq. Is there a suggestion there that perhaps potentially again this is still well on the table?

SHEPPERD: Well, it's certainly a message to everyone that we are serious, that we are not just going to take our troops out of Kuwait, go to Afghanistan, finish Afghanistan, and then perhaps go to Iraq later on. We are maintaining the capability, and we are putting others on notice that we have the capability to do what it takes to defend America no matter what's going on worldwide. So I take it as a message, Bill, not necessarily preparations for an imminent military strike.

HEMMER: Fair answer there. Major General Don Shepperd, thanks again. Appreciate it.

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